Wow This Stuff Works!

The residual citrus oil may bleach out the dark fabric over time (and with sun) but it will be worth it to once again have passengers!

Gummy Bears

I used to cut up Gummy Bears in High School Spanish Class and make them all mutant. I would bite off an orange head and stick it to a green body and maybe even give it red paws. Maybe it was my early quilting insticts coming out....cutting up pretty fabrics just to sew them back together. Anyway I never dreamed they had such a low melting point. Last week the kids had started a bag but not finished them and I laid them in my seat to take home. Granted my interior is black. Not to mention I folded the seat over to access the back and left it there for a few hours before discovering this.......

This stuff is so tough it even has some of the packaging embedded in it. I let the car get very hot again and have been scraping and scraping. I did find that the petroleum based hand cleaner GoJo is helping some...and my next attempt will be with a citurs cleaner.

Anyone have any experince with melted Gummys? Maybe this is payback for playing with them in Spanish class all those years ago.

Barn Progress

Finally I am seeing more progress on Go Postal's barn. His builder has had several interuptions but is doing a very nice job. The siding is going up, windows in, and then the tin will be put on the sheds. The siding is board and batten style (to match the addition on the back of his cabin) and is really going to look nice. He even added the detail above the window mimic the old barn in Todd.

Breakfast of Champions!

They know the drill....you come to Aunt Nane's and you can roll change thats in the big pickle crock. With the windfall we head to Krispy Kreme!

Fun time at the Beach

My family just spent a week at my favorite beach....good food, lots of sun, and plenty of new memories were made. Granted a 12/9/7/4 year old around make it a little louder than normal for Zorro and I...not to mention a Grandaddy who likes to stir things up a little too. Hope everyone gets a chance this summer to get their toes sandy.

Something for me at The Henry Ford

This is a great book, and I thought I was just going to a car museum. It talks about the history of quilts and fabrics then highlights some of their collection. Fons and Porter then added patterns to reproduce some of them.......my favorite is an insane appliqued vine quilt. Maybe someday.

Day Five (7/7) Coming Home

We spent the night near Denver so we could fly out early. However our flight leaving Denver was delayed and we missed our connecting flight in Detroit. You know the frustrating way...you can still see the plane at the gate, but since 9/11 once the door has shut they won't reopen it for anyone. So the next flight didn't leave until 9pm and we were looking at a seven hour wait. I asked Go Postal if there was anything in Detroit worth visiting and he quickly responded The Henry Ford. This museum was incredible. We only had about two hours but we made it through the highlights (and all the cars at least) There was a special exhibit of Rock and Rollers and their cars. This one is owned by Jimmie Vaughn (Stevie Ray's brother).

This visit let Go Postal check an item off his bucket list. We definiely learned that there is a ton to see in Detroit, maybe we will make it back someday.

The red car to the right is the ZZ Top car used in a bunch of their videos, we also saw one from Elvis and many many more.

1939 Dodge Texaco delivery tanker.....

One of the original weiner mobiles.....

Good thing he doesn't have to use this to deliver mail, he prefers his Subaru!

So when life gives you scraps....Make a Quilt. We ended up turning a very frustrating delay into a great side trip.

Our trip was a blast, I am tired and yet refreshed. Thanks Dairy Queen and Whole Wheat for all your hospitality. We miss you but are so glad we got to visit!!

Day Four (7/6)

Day Hike to Timberline Lake, just a few weeks ago the trail still had a lot of snow on it. We made it to the lake and a breathtaking view for our picnic. This trail was more wooded and had different wild flowers than we saw on the Lost Man trail. Whole Wheat did a good job on this photo by setting in on a tripod then sprinting up the trail to just make it into the photo.

Here is one of the many meadows we crossed on the way up the trail. Elk and Moose traces were everywhere but we didn't see them.

There is one tricky stream crossing. The logs here are thin and bouncy so it really takes mind over matter to get across. Dairy Queen already knew about this so she packed sandals and braved the frigid water and just walked across. The poles really helped you balance as your boots could be on logs one and two and the poles on log three. It was scarier than this shot really shows.

Whole Wheat took this photo of the State Flower of Colorado.....The Columbine

Day Three (7/5)

Sunday we opted to rent bikes and ride the 11 mile paved path around Leadville called the Mineral Belt. It takes you by signs where you can learn all about the mining heritage of this town. We even stopped along the way to take a tour of the Matchless mine where one of the Silver Kings made all his money in the early 1900's Here is Go Postal and Dairy Queen standing outside. Little did we know rain was coming...and it wasn't the nice summer showers we get here....IT WAS COLD. I didn't have gloves or pants on and needless to say got really chilled. I have never seen my legs turn purple before. But we had a nice hut where we could wait it out. The afternoon brightened right back up and we ate Mexican for dinner.

Day Two (7/4)

We headed out in time to see the Leadville 4th of July parade then on to hike near Independance Pass (on the Continental Divide). We started out the Lost Man trail (good thing I didn't know the name when we started) our destination was a lake but I pooped out and the rain clouds started to threaten in the afternoon. Along the way the wildflowers were in full swing and we saw a lot of Marmots. Marmots are kink of like our ground hogs and will whistle at you to alert their buddies.

Yep thats SNOW, and its July 4th

We headed back to Leadville, had dinner and then enjoyed the town's fireworks display.

Colorado Day One (7/3) - Mt Evans

We took an early flight to Denver so arrived about 10:30 am Mountain Time. We stopped to eat at a great pizza place called Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs Colorado. After lunch we headed up the road to Mt Evans. It is the highest paved road in North America. Here we are standing near the top at over 14,000 feet above sea level. From here you hike up a short trail to the summit. OK remember we just flew in from almost sea level that morning not to mention the wind chill probably was in the upper 30's. This short hike was enough for me to know I will never aspire to climb tall mountains. And I have never seen a Mountain Goat very close, they only live above the tree line. This one hangs out near the top and likes to lick the minerals in the rocks. There are no guard rails on the road up, but if you are ever in Colorado I would try to make this drive...as few of us could ever get this high under our own power.

Happy 4th of July

Hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday with friends and family. We will be celebrating in Leadville Colorado...hiking and biking with Whole Wheat and Dairy Queen.

Even with all the problems we have, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else! God Bless the USA